Public Library Staffing Measures

Q. In our public library, circulation is soaring, and frankly, we need more staff. Is there an ALA standard for how many staff are needed?

A. Neither the ALA nor our public library division, the Public Library Association (PLA), sets prescriptive standards for public libraries, including a number of staff needed per capita. Instead, we advocate an outcomes-based assessment process set forth in a series of books on Planning and Assessment. The reason for this is that each library serves a different community with different needs. For example, a library serving a community with many young families wants and needs a library with different facilities and services than a library serving a similar size population with a high percentage of empty-nesters and retirees.